Children’s conversion legal in Perlis, says mufti

 

Asri Zainul Abidin says a Malay version of the Federal Constitution states that either parent can agree to a child’s conversion.

GEORGE TOWN: The conversion of single mother Loh Siew Hong’s three children is legal under Perlis law and hence, was unquestionable, the state’s mufti Asri Zainul Abidin said today.

Asri said under the Perlis Islamic enactment, either the father, mother, or a guardian can convert their minors to Islam.

He also took aim at his detractors who accused him of going against the law when they did not get Loh’s consent to convert the children.

“I want to tell them that in 2016, the Perlis assembly passed a law that allows those wishing to pass down their Islamic faith to their children can do so with the agreement of either the father or the mother.

“It is not against Perlis’ law. Other states might be different, but only one parent is enough in Perlis. And in this case, the children’s father wants his kids to be converted to Islam,” he said in a Facebook Live ceramah tonight.

Asri also said when the Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail became Yang diPertuan Agong in 2003, the monarch was instrumental in issuing a Malay, authoritative text of the Federal Constitution.

Asri said that the Malay version of the Federal Constitution also read that either parent can agree to the child’s conversion.

“This is not a matter of interpretation. Please don’t say we are against the law. There is no issue of parents being in singular or plural form. That is a different story.

“The Perlis law is in Malay and reads that either father or mother or a guardian can convert their child,” he said. - FMT